Decomposure
by RedQueenMiku
Summary: Ludwig von Koopa has always been a sensible, level-headed Koopaling, but, when the birth of his youngest sibling takes the life of his mother and his right to the throne, he finds himself having to make the hardest decisions of his life to try to get it all back.
1. His Mother

"We have a big announcement for you kids," Bowser said with a grin. The entire royal Koopa family seated around the dinner table turned their attention to their patriarch, who stood from his place at the head of the table. Next to him, his wife, Clawdia, stood as well. The seven Koopaling children stared at their parents, eagerly awaiting the news to follow.

"Your father and I paid a visit to the doctor today," Clawdia began, "He said that I'm going to have another child."

The Koopalings gave a simultaneous gasp of excitement.

"Wow!" ten-year-old Lemmy cried, "I can't wait!"

"Finally! Someone who'll be younger than me!" seven-year-old Larry exclaimed.

"I hope this one is a girl," nine-year-old Wendy stated, "There are too many boys in this family."

"Actually," Clawdia added on, "We already know the gender."

The Koopalings immediately quieted down and turned back to their mother in silent anticipation.

"It's a boy."

More excited chatter arose amongst the Koopalings. Well, from all except for fourteen-year-old Ludwig. He'd remained, for the most part, silent through the entire announcement. Instead, he poked his fork at the mashed potatoes on his plate. Clawdia must have taken notice of this, because, as the rest of the Koopalings occupied themselves by talking amongst themselves about their future younger brother and Bowser decided he'd join in with them, Clawdia made her way over to Ludwig, placing her hand on his shoulder. She motioned for him to follow her into the living room and Ludwig complied.

"What's the matter, Ludwig?" Clawdia asked once the two were away from the rest of the family.

"I worry about you, mother," Ludwig explained timidly, "Are you sure you can handle having so many children?"

"Of course I can," Clawdia answered with a smile, ruffling Ludwig's hair, "I've handled my children thus far, haven't I? I think I can handle one more."

"Even seven is a little excessive," Ludwig added, becoming concerned, "I just don't want things getting out of hand...for your sake..."

"Oh, Ludwig," Clawdia giggled, "You always were the most mature of the bunch. I'll be fine. I promise."

Ludwig looked away. He couldn't help but worry about his mother. Ever since his father had started his military assaults on the Mushroom Kingdom, Clawdia had been looking worse and worse. She'd been more tired than usual and she became plagued by frequent colds and the like, but the stubborn Koopa woman still forged on. Just then, Clawdia wrapped her son in a big bear hug. Ludwig hugged back, squeezing as tightly as he could. He couldn't bear to think of anything happening to his mother.

* * *

Clawdia bore closer and closer to her due date and the Koopalings were all buzzing with excitement. Clawdia was now in the constant care of the castle's physician, who constantly monitored both Clawdia and her unborn baby's condition. Iggy, Lemmy, and Larry would pick flowers from the castle gardens every day and bring them to their mother. Ludwig also constantly visited his mother to see how she was doing. On this particular day, he went with Iggy, Lemmy, and Larry while they were delivering their flowers. When they got to Clawdia's room, though, they found multiple guards stationed outside her door.

"No one is allowed in here today," the guard told the four Koopalings.

"Why not?" Ludwig asked worriedly. He couldn't help but immediately think that something was wrong.

"Clawdia's come down with Mushroom Fever."

Ludwig stumbled backward in shock. Bracing himself against the far wall, he clutched his hand to his chest and found his heart beating at a mile a minute. Everyone in the Darklands and the Mushroom Kingdom knew that Mushroom Fever was an incredibly deadly disease that took its victims quickly. There was only one cure for Mushroom Fever and that cure lay in the hands of the one person the Koopa Clan couldn't have had worse relations with: Mario.

"Is mama going to be okay?" Larry asked, trembling. Lemmy was already in tears and Iggy was right on the verge of letting them loose.

"Lord Bowser is trying to work out a deal with Mario," the guard explained, "If he agrees, he'll come and try to heal Lady Clawdia. Until then, though, Her Highness is under quarantine by order of the King."

* * *

The next few days felt like torture. No one would tell the Koopalings anything about their mother's condition and, as far as they knew, Mario hadn't come. Bowser also hadn't been spotted as of late. It was assumed, though, that he was with his wife. Ludwig, over this time, had immersed himself in songwriting, it being the only thing that gave him some sort of solace for now. He'd written multiple sorrowful symphonies. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he had hope that his mother would be okay. That part of his mind told him to write a happy symphony to show his mother when she got better, but he couldn't bring himself to do so what with how she was doing at the moment.

A knock at the door interrupted Ludwig's train of thought. He vaulted out of his chair and swung the door open to find his father standing there. His eyes were puffy and bloodshot, as if he'd just been crying. In one hand, he held a small stack of papers. He shuffled through the stack, then handed one to Ludwig before turning to leave. Ludwig looked over the writing on the paper in his hands.

" _To my dear Ludwig,_

 _I'm so sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't be around to see your coronation day. I'm sorry I couldn't be around to see you become an adult. Most of all, though, I'm sorry I couldn't say goodbye. I know, though, that you're a strong Koopa. Stay strong for me, no matter what happens. Even though I'm gone now, I'll always be with you in your heart. I know you'll be a great king someday. You have great judgment. I only wish I'd listened to you when it really mattered. Despite that, though, you need to be strong for everyone, including your father. I'm afraid for him. Please, take care of him for me, and your siblings as well. They need you now more than ever, Ludwig. I'm counting on you. Make me proud._

 _Forever yours, Clawdia"_

Ludwig collapsed to the floor, sobbing uncontrollably. He thought of the last time he'd seen his mother. She'd had the flowers from Larry and the twins cradled in her arms. Thinking back, she'd looked like an angel that day. Ludwig thought of the mundane conversation they'd had and the nonchalant goodbye he'd given her as he'd left. There was so much more he could have said to her. He only wished he'd spent more time with her that day.

* * *

Mario arrived at the castle not more than a day later. It was too late for Clawdia, but, formerly unbeknownst to the Koopalings, Clawdia's child had been delivered successfully. Mario checked both Bowser and the child over for residual traces of the Mushroom Fever before giving his condolences for Clawdia's premature death and leaving. The child was named "Bowser Koopa Jr.", after his father. Seven days from then, the baby was to be presented to the kingdom. It was a solemn time, though. No one in the household spoke much and they mostly kept their distance from each other.

Finally, there came Presentation Day. The family gathered on the large castle balcony overlooking the loyal citizens that were gathered for miles to witness the event.

"Citizens of the Darklands!" Bowser announced, his booming voice providing ample volume for those gathered around to hear, "This child; the newest member of the Koopa Clan; comes not without a price. This tiny life has cost us the life of our queen, Clawdia Koopa, may she rest in peace."

The crowd muttered amongst itself with a dull roar. Ludwig could tell his father was trying to keep from bursting into tears then and there. He had to keep a brave face for his subjects.

"This child," Bowser continued, "is now my namesake. His name is Bowser Koopa Jr., Prince of the Darklands and my eighth child. Also, this child comes with a title all his own."

The crowd was obviously growing confused. Ludwig himself couldn't figure out what his father was talking about.

"Bowser Koopa Jr.," Bowser went on, "is now the new heir to the Koopa throne."

Ludwig choked. He could have sworn his heart practically skipped a beat. His siblings all immediately turned to him in shock to see his reaction. He stared at his father, eyes wide. Below, the crowd began to murmur more loudly, voicing their confusion over the sudden revelation. Ludwig's head was still spinning and he felt sick to his stomach as he began trembling. His title had been stripped from him and had been given to the child that had killed his mother. He felt betrayed. How could his own father do this to him? Thinking about it was beginning to drive him crazy.

Ludwig closed his eyes and exhaled heavily, clearing his mind and putting on a straight face as his father passed by on his way back inside the castle. He needed to calm down or he was going to make the situation worse. He couldn't stop the trembling, though. It kept on as the same thought kept coming back to his mind: why Bowser Jr. and not him?

* * *

Bowser stroked the face of the tiny child sleeping in his arms: Clawdia's last child. Now, not only was this child his namesake, he was also his heir. Clawdia had died to bring this child life. He couldn't let this effort be in vain.

"I'm sorry, Ludwig," Bowser muttered to himself, "But it's all I can do to keep from hating him."


	2. His Master

Ludwig awoke in a cold sweat. He clutched his chest with his right hand and began breathing heavily. He'd had yet another nightmare about his mother. Her death was now an entire year behind him and he still couldn't get over it or the Presentation that had happened eight days later. That Presentation was the day Ludwig's entire life changed. Ludwig's position had since become second in command over the Koopa army next to his father's advisor, Kamek. Still, Ludwig felt empty. Bowser Jr. still held the title that was rightfully his: heir to the Koopa throne.

Ludwig bared his fangs at this thought. He had resented Junior ever since that Presentation day, even more when he associated the child with the death of his mother. Clawdia's death had a strong effect on the family as a whole. Obviously, Bowser and Ludwig were greatly affected, but, surprisingly enough, the one who held the greatest change since the event was Iggy. Since Clawdia's death, Iggy had been spiraling into dementia. Ludwig couldn't blame him. Iggy always extremely close to his mother. When she died, Iggy practically lost half of himself. It was sad that the whole ordeal had caused him to fall this far. Since then, Iggy had been much more possessive of Lemmy.

Ludwig then got up and stormed out of his room and down the hall toward the kitchen. He knew that the kitchen was a usual haunt for Roy at this time of night, but he didn't care. Really, Ludwig just needed to talk to someone, even if it was Roy.

The castle was completely silent, save for Ludwig's footsteps. At least half of the castle's guards were gone at the moment. Bowser had gone on a trip to the Mushroom Kingdom to try to capture Princess Peach, as he seemed to be doing much more frequently since his wife's death. As the Koopalings had soon been informed, though, what was supposed to be a short trip had quickly turned into a long excursion into the Beanbean Kingdom for whatever reason. Ludwig had to admit that, as of late, Bowser's plans had been getting much more convoluted and spontaneous instead of being like his more well-organized invasions of the past. It was beginning to worry Ludwig.

Ludwig finally reached the kitchen and, sure enough, he found Roy digging through the refrigerator. Roy didn't even seem to notice that Ludwig had entered the room.

"You're such a pig," Ludwig scoffed. Roy immediately jerked his head upward in surprise, smashing it against one of the refrigerator shelves before finally backing out of the refrigerator, rubbing his head.

"What're you doing up so late?" Roy asked, shooting Ludwig a skeptical glare.

"I just needed to talk to someone," Ludwig answered, looking away, "I knew you'd be the only one up this late, so-"

"Yeah, yeah," Roy interrupted, pushing the refrigerator door shut and plunging the room into darkness, "I get it. Just remember: I don't do mushy stuff."

"I know," Ludwig replied, "I just needed to get something off my chest."

"Such as?"

Ludwig hesitated for a second, biting his lip. He wasn't exactly sure how Roy would respond to what he was about to say.

"Have you ever hated someone? I mean REALLY hated someone?"

"Sure," Roy replied, "All the time."

"What did you want to do to them?"

"All sorts of stuff. Why?"

"Well...What about Junior?"

"Not this again," Roy groaned, grimacing, "You really can't get over stuff, can you?"

"Don't talk to me about not getting over things, Roy!" Ludwig shouted, pointing a finger at his brother, "Besides, this wasn't just some minor offense! This is a matter of that child stealing what was rightfully mine! He stole my throne, Roy!"

"I'm not talking about this, Lud," Roy said, beginning to walk out of the room.

"Don't you dare walk away from me, Roy!" Ludwig yelled. Roy didn't even respond and continued on. Ludwig scoffed and let Roy go. He didn't need some big, dumb brute getting under his skin anyway. He then decided to leave the kitchen as well and head for the foyer. He probably just needed a bit of fresh air.

* * *

It had taken a bit of convincing to get the guards to let him out this late, but Ludwig was now outside the castle and wandering the city. It was an impressive city that King Bowser had built after his coronation, called Neo Bowser City. At night, the city shone with colorful lights and bright neon fixtures. It was truly a sight to behold. Bowser had always had a sort of affinity for these sorts of colorful lights.

Ludwig sighed, staring up into the sky. Despite the bright lights of the city, the sky was still filled with stars: a wonderful byproduct of the world he lived in. He then sighed, letting himself relax. A quick walk through the city really was all he needed.

Just then, Ludwig began hearing shouts rise up in the distance. As Ludwig began moving closer to the source of the noise, the cries became much more distinguishable.

"All hail the Koopa King!"

"All hail the Koopa King!"

Ludwig furrowed his brow in confusion. Bowser had given his children no indication of returning anytime soon and, even if he did return, Ludwig had to wonder why would he come through the city. Usually, upon returning from an invasion attempt, he'd try to bypass the city entirely to avoid being swarmed by the masses. Ludwig then saw his father surrounded by a swarm of the city's citizens. He was wearing a dark cloak and his snout was mostly covered by a thick scarf. He was moving rather quickly through the crowd and didn't even seem to notice that Ludwig was there. Soon, he bypassed Ludwig entirely, seeming to make his way to the castle. That's when Ludwig decided to follow him, making sure to keep his distance to not alert his father of his presence.

Eventually, Bowser reached the castle and headed inside. Ludwig followed close behind, now almost directly behind his father. Bowser then stopped in the middle of the empty hallway, just standing there. That's when Ludwig decided to make his presence known.

"Why didn't you bother to let us know you were coming back?"

Bowser whirled around, startled, and stared at Ludwig, eyes wide with shock. Oddly enough, though, there seemed to be something off.

"Are you...all right?" Ludwig asked hesitantly. There was definitely something wrong. It almost seemed like Bowser's face was different, but Ludwig couldn't place his finger on how, granted they were in a mostly dark room and it was hard to see.

"I didn't expect anyone of importance to be here."

The voice, though somewhat muffled by the scarf, was off as well. In fact, it sounded almost feminine.

"What do you mean by that?" Ludwig asked skeptically, "All eight of your children are here, just like you left us. Did you expect us to just leave?"

"So the Koopa King has children..."

"What do you mean 'the Koopa King has children'?!"

Ludwig was extremely wary now. This definitely wasn't his father.

"I'm sorry," the imposter said, "I simply must introduce myself, musn't I?"

The imposter then threw off the hood and the scarf, revealing their true form. The imposter bore a striking resemblance to Bowser, but there were two antenna-like appendages on top of their head and a wide, crazed grin across their snout that never seemed to go away. Ludwig took a step back in shock, almost stumbling over.

"I am the great and illustrious superstar, Bowletta!" the imposter cackled, "I have come all the way here so that I may bless the Beanbean Kingdom with the appearance and subsequent wrath of its new queen!"

Ludwig was stricken silent. He was almost ready to scream in fear.

"I know you must be wondering," Bowletta continued, "how I plan to go about this plan, hm? I plan to use the Bowser Castle to launch my attack on the Beanbean Castle Town! Now, tell me who is in charge of this castle!"

"A-actually," Ludwig stuttered, finally working up the courage to speak, "At the moment, I'm the one in charge."

"You?" Bowletta asked skeptically, "One of the children?"

"Don't underestimate me," Ludwig said, "I'm second-in-command of the entire Koopa army."

"Oh! Oh!" Bowletta screeched with glee, "Magnificent! My last-resort plan is already working quite nicely!"

"What last-resort plan?" Ludwig asked, glaring at Bowletta.

"Ah!" Bowletta exclaimed, "Allow me to let you in on what I've had to go through to get here! Cackletta's tale of woe, if you will!"

* * *

Ludwig tried to take in everything that Bowletta had just told him. Apparently, Bowletta used to be a Beanish witch named Cackletta. Cackletta had stolen Princess Peach's voice to try to activate a magical wish-granting artifact known as the Beanstar, but was quickly foiled by Mario and Luigi. Along the way, she'd died and decided to take possession of Bowser's body, becoming Bowletta. After one final attempt to take the Beanstar, which was also foiled, she decided to use brute force and came to take Bowser's Castle to attack the Beanbean Castle Town with.

"How do you plan on accomplishing this attack?" Ludwig asked.

"By launching the castle into the air, of course!" Bowletta answered as if the solution should have been obvious, "I'll attach rockets to the castle and fly it all the way to the Beanbean Kingdom! From there, I'll launch my attack! The Mario brothers will never be able to stop me!"

Ludwig gave Bowletta a bewildered look. It was the most convoluted plan he'd ever heard of.

"What will you do if you actually succeed?" Ludwig dared to ask.

"I will take control of the Beanbean Kingdom and rule it myself, of course!" Bowletta replied.

Ludwig scoffed. It was an obvious answer, but it was also obvious that Bowletta didn't know all that much about the Mario brothers.

"What if the Mario brothers somehow manage to get into the castle?" Ludwig pointed out, "What will you do then? You're going to need some kind of defense or this plan of yours will never work."

"Yes!" Bowletta exclaimed, "It's all so simple! You could help me! Together, we can easily make this plan work!"

"Huh?!" Ludwig said, having been taken by surprise, "Why would I help you? As far as I know, you're just some creepy witch who's taken over my father's body!"

"Ah, ah, ah," Bowletta said, waving a finger at Ludwig to quiet him, "Think about it a little. I have control of the King of the Koopas. That means that, if I take over the Beanbean Kingdom, the Koopa King won't be around to rule his own kingdom."

Ludwig's eyes widened in realization.

"Y-you mean-"

"Yes," Bowletta interrupted, "If you help me take over the Beanbean Kingdom, I'll make you the new King of the Koopa Empire!"

Ludwig froze. This was his one chance to get back the throne that Junior had stolen from him.

"What's going on down here?"

Ludwig whirled around in shock to see Larry standing across the foyer from him and Bowletta. Larry seemed to be staring at the strange intruder with a look of terror. Ludwig bit his lip. If Bowletta's plan was going to work, they'd definitely need the cooperation of all seven of the Koopalings. Out of all of them, though, Larry's trust was the most important. Larry was the one that Bowser had named the leader of what the Koopa army had come to call the "Koopaling Special Task Force", which was composed of only the seven Koopalings. Since Ludwig was already second-in-command, Larry was tasked with the responsibility of managing the Koopalings and, in a sense, they'd come to heed Larry's command even more than Ludwig's.

"Larry," Ludwig began, "Why are you up so late?"

"It's almost six in the morning, Ludwig!" Larry retorted. Ludwig was taken aback. He had no idea how long he'd been up.

"Well," Ludwig continued, nervously clenching his fists, "I-"

"What's wrong with King Dad?"

Ludwig choked.

"I-I," Ludwig stuttered, "I believe I need to introduce you to someone. You see, this is Bowletta. She's...actually a witch that's taken over King Dad's body."

Ludwig couldn't lie to Larry. The eight-year-old Koopaling didn't deserve to have his trust broken by his own brother.

"What?!" Larry said, taking a step back. Ludwig winced.

"It's not what you think!" Ludwig said quickly, "I'm sure she only did it because she had to! She had no other choice!"

Bowletta hadn't actually told him that, but that's at least what he wanted to believe.

"W-well, she's going to give it back, right?" Larry asked, growing pale, "She's not going to stay there forever, is she?"

Ludwig froze. He glanced at Bowletta, then back at Larry. He couldn't seem to get the words he wanted to say out of his mouth.

"I've asked him to help me conquer the Beanbean Kingdom," Bowletta explained to Larry, "He's agreed to help me."

"I need you too," Ludwig added, "I can't do this without you and the others, Larry."

"You didn't answer my question," Larry said, "Is she going to give King Dad back?"

Ludwig stared at Larry. Whatever he told Larry now was probably going to be the wrong answer.

"That all depends," Bowletta interjected, "Are you willing to join me as well?"

"Don't lie to him, Bowletta," Ludwig snarled, "I don't want him getting his hopes up for something that's never going to happen."

"Well, it's not like you were able to tell him without me getting ready to lie about it."

Ludwig immediately realized what he'd done and stared back at Larry, who was beginning to back away, tears in his eyes.

"No!" Ludwig called out, "Please! Please don't leave!"

"I can't believe you!" Larry cried, "You're just going to betray King Dad like that?!"

Ludwig reeled back, the reality of the situation hitting him like a load of bricks.

"It's not like that, Larry!" Ludwig said, trying to defend himself, "I swear, everything's going to be okay in the end! I promise!"

Larry stopped, staring at Ludwig.

"You'll make sure of it?" Larry asked, beginning to relax.

"I'll make sure of it," Ludwig replied. Quite honestly, he wasn't sure what he was promising, but he needed to say something before Larry dismissed him entirely. Larry slowly let down his guard and began toward Ludwig and Bowletta, keeping his gaze locked on the latter. He then reached out to Bowletta to shake her hand. Ludwig let out a sigh of relief. All he needed was for Bowletta's plan to work and the Koopa throne would finally be his. He was beginning to wonder, though, if it would really be worth it.


	3. His Misery

Ludwig stood on one of the castle's balconies and let the wind rush through his hair. Bowletta had gone through with her plan and had attached special rockets to the outside of Bowser's Castle. Now, the castle was well on its way to the Beanbean Kingdom. As Ludwig watched the scenery race by below, he couldn't help but think of what things would be like should Bowletta's plan succeed.

Ludwig then heard the door behind him swing open. He turned to see Bowletta's apprentice, Fawful, walking toward him. Fawful was apparently the mechanical genius behind Cackletta's various schemes and he was the one who directed the fitting of the rockets to the castle. Surprisingly, though, Fawful looked to only be a child, even younger than Ludwig. He was a short, wispy child with large glasses who almost looked unassuming.

"Did you come up here for me?" Ludwig asked, "Or did you just come here for the view?"

"Fawful has only come up here to do the looking," Fawful replied, leaning forward against the balcony's railing. Fawful, as Ludwig had quickly learned, had a very strange way of speaking, mixing up his words and often using strange phrases and analogies.

"Bowletta has been doing much telling to me about you," Fawful said, "She had saying that you really seemed to have liking of her offer."

"The Koopa throne isn't something I take lightly," Ludwig replied, "unlike my father."

"What did the father have doing of?" Fawful asked. It took Ludwig a moment to interpret what exactly Fawful meant.

"I used to be heir to the throne, you know," Ludwig explained, "I was going to be the one to be the next Koopa King."

"What had happening?"

"Our mother died after having her last child, Junior. Apparently, something about that made King Dad want to give the throne to him instead. I just don't get it."

"I have not getting of it either. The throne should be belonging to you."

"I know. It's not fair."

Ludwig slammed his fist down on the railing. Fawful stared at him for a moment.

"Fawful never had knowing of his parents," Fawful said, now staring off into the distance, "The only one Fawful has remembering of is Cackletta. Cackletta was like much of the mother to me. Cackletta and the Haven are the only rememberings I am having."

"The Haven?" Ludwig repeated bewilderedly.

"The Haven is being a place for those who do not have fitting in," Fawful explained, "We who are being in the Haven are always being certain of having an ally."

"I see," Ludwig mused. He still couldn't quite comprehend the concept, but it sounded nice enough.

"Which one of the siblings has being of the throne-stealer?" Fawful asked suddenly, catching Ludwig off guard.

"Just Junior," Ludwig answered, "He's just a baby; only a year old."

"Do you not ever have any thinking to kill him?"

Ludwig was taken aback, staring at Fawful in shock.

"You don't seriously mean that, do you?" Ludwig asked.

"I have much meaning of it," Fawful said, reaching into his cloak and pulling out a dagger. He then began to play with the dagger in his hands.

"That's absolutely crazy," Ludwig replied, "If I ever even thought of doing that—"

"When it is being about a throne," Fawful interrupted, "There is not being much room for discretion. The opponent is being the opponent, none of the mattering if he is a brother. Do you have loathing of him?"

"Well, yes, but-"

"Then it is being the time for action! Be doing the striking before they can be doing the striking back!"

Fawful then handed the dagger over to Ludwig, who took it hesitantly.

"It is being up to you what you have doing of with this," Fawful said, "You must be doing making of the decision on your own."

Ludwig stared at the dagger for a moment, then stared back at Fawful. Fawful flashed a demented grin before turning to leave. Ludwig then turned his gaze back to the dagger. He thought long and hard before giving up on trying to decide and shoving the dagger into his shell. He then left the balcony and began roaming the halls.

* * *

About an hour after his conversation with Fawful, Ludwig found himself sitting on the floor across the hall from the door to Bowser Jr.'s nursery. He was still contemplating whether or not to commit the deed Fawful had described to him. On the one hand, if Bowletta's plan failed, he would still be able to secure the throne. On the other hand, he didn't think he could live with himself if he did end up killing the child.

Finally, Ludwig sighed and reached his hand into his shell, digging around to find the dagger. He then pulled it out and stared at it. It was a rudimentary weapon with a crude wooden handle and a jagged edge. In fact, the blade looked to be somewhat warped. It was still sharp, though, and more than capable of even piercing through a Koopa's scales.

Ludwig then stared back at the door to Bowser Jr.'s room, slowing his breathing. He had to make this decision for himself, just like Fawful had told him.

"It's either now or later...eventually he'll start figuring things out on his own."

Ludwig rose to his feet and started for the door. He gripped the handle of the dagger tightly. He was in much too deep to let the child live now.

"I'm the heir. This is my kingdom."

Ludwig swung the door to the nursery open and charged inside, but quickly reeled back upon seeing Kammy Koopa, one of Bowser's advisors, cradling Bowser Jr. in her arms. After that, the only sound to be heard in the room was that of the dagger clattering to the floor as Ludwig and Kammy stared at each other in surprise.

"This isn't what it looks like!" Ludwig finally cried, "I swear!"

"I came here to protect the young heir from the villains who had taken over the castle," Kammy explained, "I hate to think that that would include you as well."

Ludwig bared his fangs.

"It was my throne, Kammy," Ludwig snarled, "He stole all of that from me. This is my only chance to get everything back."

"You'd betray your father and kill your own brother for a throne?" Kammy retorted, "How would you be able to live with yourself after doing all that?"

"I don't care!" Ludwig screamed, "That child is going to die! If you try to escape with him, I'll have you hunted down and killed as well! Now, give him to me before I decide to kill you right now!"

Kammy froze, staring at Ludwig. Ludwig tensed up, taking an involuntary step back. What had he just said?

"N-no," Ludwig stuttered, trembling, "I-I didn't mean it like that, I swear. I-I-"

"I've heard you say those exact words a thousand times, Ludwig," Kammy interjected, "and I still can't make out what you really mean."

Ludwig stared at Kammy, bewildered.

"What do you mean by that?" Ludwig asked.

Kammy didn't answer. Instead, she reached into her cloak and pulled out her magic wand. Ludwig stumbled backward, thinking she was about to attack him, but she never did. She held Bowser Jr. close and let the glow emanating from the wand envelop both herself and the child in her arms. Ludwig shielded his eyes from the blinding light filling the room. Once he could finally see again, both Kammy and Bowser Jr. were gone.

 _"_ _Just once, I'd like to see if, one of these times, I can get you to leave the child be."_

Ludwig heard Kammy's voice resonating in his head. Had she really said that? She talked as if she already knew what was going to happen and, quite frankly, it scared him. He could only wonder what would happen now.

* * *

Ludwig's thoughts were a muddled mess. The last thing he remembered was being defeated and knocked unconscious by the Mario Brothers. Just as he was beginning to regain consciousness, though he was suddenly hit with a powerful blow to his back and an overwhelming sensation that left him freezing cold. He took in a sharp breath, but quickly stuggled to hack what he'd breathed in out of his system. His eyes stung with an intense pain as they shot open, only allowing him a brief view of murky sunlight ahead of him before he squinted his eyes shut against the stinging.

That was when he finally realized what was going on. He was drowning.

He struggled against the undertow threatening to pull him deeper, using every ounce of strength he had to try to reach the surface. His lungs were burning and he desperately wanted to take another breath, but he knew that, if he did, he'd only breathe in more water.

Finally, Ludwig broke the surface of the waves. He coughed and sputtered for all the air he could take in, simultaneously hacking up the water he'd inhaled earlier. The steady churning of the water around him disoriented him and made him dizzy. Frantically looking around, he was able to spot some of his siblings also struggling against the waves. Ludwig was able to quickly surmise that they were in the middle of the ocean.

Ludwig's gaze then shot upward. Bowser's Castle still hovered in the air above them, but it was descending quickly, moving away from them as it fell until in eventually crashed into the ocean some distance away. The resulting shock sent a large wave tearing outward in all directions, overtaking Ludwig and forcing him back under. He had to fight against the sheer power of the current that threatened to tear him apart, but he was able to reach the surface once again. The salty water continued to sting his eyes and he couldn't calm down enough to stop the burning in his lungs, but there was something eating at him even more than any of the pain he was feeling.

 _"_ _What happens now?"_

Ludwig could barely focus on anything. So many possibilities ran through his head all at once and he was scared out of his wits. What had happened to Bowletta? Would he and his siblings be okay? Would anything ever be normal again?

...Would his family ever forgive him for what he'd done?

It was the last question that kept Ludwig locked in a nervous daze, staring ahead at the wreckage of his father's castle slowly sinking into its watery grave.

"Ludwig!"

Ludwig snapped back into reality upon hearing his younger brother's desperate screams. Frantically scanning the waves, Ludwig was able to spot Larry struggling to stay afloat just twenty feet away. Ludwig lunged forward, starting to make his way toward Larry, but hesitated as Morton reached him first. Morton quickly pulled Larry up onto his back, seeming to be just fine, albeit slightly more burdened, treading water for the both of them.

"Are you all right?" Ludwig asked hoarsely, making it to where Larry and Morton were.

"I-I'm okay," Larry stuttered. He was shivering wildly, his arms wrapped tightly around Morton. He looked to be on the verge of tears, his eyes shut tightly against the ocean's salty spray.

"I'm so sorry," Ludwig apologized, "I had no idea any of this would happen."

"I should have never trusted you."

Ludwig froze. Larry's words felt like being stabbed with a knife...much like the one Ludwig still carried inside his shell. He could only wonder in pure terror how much more Larry would hate him if he knew what his oldest brother had almost done to his youngest.

 _"_ _Just once, I'd like to see if, one of these times, I can get you to leave the child be."_

Kammy's strange last words still echoed through the back of Ludwig's mind, having planted themselves there indefinitely. What in the world had Kammy meant when she said that? Where had she and Junior gone?

 _"_ _Ludwig?"_

 _"_ _Ludwig?"_

 _"_ _Hey! Ludwig!"_

Ludwig snapped back into reality with a startled gasp. He suddenly remembered what he was doing. He was sitting at a table across from Larry discussing plans for the next invasion.

"Did you even hear anything I just said?!" Larry shouted. Ludwig apprehensively shrank back in his chair, warranting an exasperated look from his younger brother.

"It's not like you to space out like that," Larry mused with a scowl, "What's on your mind?"

"Nothing," Ludwig answered, "Nothing important, anyway."

Why had he been thinking about all of that? It had been years since the "Bowletta incident" and it had been all but forgotten since then. Of course, there were consequences for a while after the incident occurred. The Koopalings had been suspended from their military duties for quite a while afterward, but things had eventually gone back to normal and all charges had been forgiven. Even so, Ludwig wasn't quite sure how Larry would react if Ludwig brought it back up.

"Well, whatever," Larry groaned, "Just try to listen up this time."

Ludwig nodded slowly. He knew he shouldn't dwell on the past. He'd at least gotten used to the fact that Junior was heir. It was rare for Ludwig to even think ill thoughts of his youngest brother anymore. Most of that, though, was due to what had happened with Kammy. She never reappeared after that day, but Junior had come home. No one knew where she went, but Ludwig always had the dreadful feeling that it was his fault she never returned.

 _"_ _Just once, I'd like to see if, one of these times, I can get you to leave the child be."_

That statement still festered in the back of his mind, even after all these years. It was as if Kammy was using it to haunt him, even after she'd left this world. Everyone had already taken to assuming she was dead, so it was entirely plausible. The thought of it made Ludwig shudder, immediately alerting Larry to the fact that he still wasn't paying attention.

"Come on, Ludwig!" Larry yelled, "I can't believe I'm having to tell you of all Koopas to stay focused!"

Ludwig's face went pale. As much as he tried, he just couldn't get his mind off Kammy and the entire Bowletta incident in general. Finally, Larry sighed in resignation, getting up from his chair and moving to the chair directly beside Ludwig. He placed a hand on Ludwig's shoulder, staring at his older brother with his chilling icy-blue gaze.

"Is there something you need to talk about, Ludwig?" Larry asked. Ludwig's face grew hot as a breath caught in his throat and stayed there for a while, forming an uncomfortable lump. As much as he didn't want to talk about it, he knew that, if he didn't, it would keep eating away at him all day.

"Do you remember a few years ago when Bowletta came?"

Larry's eyes widened as his eyes darted away from Ludwig. It was obvious that he was just as uncomfortable with the topic as Ludwig thought he'd be, as the younger Koopaling shuddered and squirmed in his chair.

"Yeah," Larry hesitantly replied.

"W-well, do you remember how Kammy and Junior went missing afterward?"

"Yeah," Larry said again, this time more suspiciously. Ludwig stiffened up, gritting his teeth.

"I was just wondering where Kammy went. Why hasn't she come back?"

Larry sighed heavily. Ludwig's hand still trembled, though he tried to keep it out of Larry's line of sight. Of course he'd chickened out at the last second.

"Look, Lud," Larry said, "Kammy's been gone for years. If she hasn't come back yet, and if we can't find her by now, she's pretty much gone forever."

Ludwig nodded slowly.

"I know that's not what's on your mind, though."

Ludwig choked on a breath and he placed his hand over his mouth to keep from breaking down into a coughing fit.

"H-how did you-?!"

"I know you chickened out on me, Lud," Larry said, "I know you too well to fall for a weak fake-out like that. You were going to say something about Kammy, though, I know that much."

Ludwig silently cursed himself. Larry was too good at reading him and he should have known that.

"Fine," Ludwig groaned, resigning to his fate, "I'll say it. I...I think I might be the reason Kammy never came back."

Larry's expression shifted to a look of terrified shock.

"Wh-what do you mean?" Larry asked shakily.

"Back when Bowletta was here, her cronie, Fawful, convinced me that it would be a great idea to kill Junior to ensure my place on the throne."

Larry slapped his hand over his mouth, his pupils shrinking to pinpricks as he shrank back in his chair.

"It was a moment of weakness," Ludwig continued, taking up a defensive, "I-I was still so angry. I'd never do something like that to..."

Ludwig trailed off, seeing Larry's expression hadn't changed. Even he wasn't sure how he was going to finish his own sentence. He shut his eyes tightly, trying to hold back tears.

"I-I never actually went through with it! When I entered the nursery, Kammy was there with him and they teleported away. I-"

"What if Kammy hadn't been there?" Larry interrupted, finally having worked up the courage to speak.

"I don't know," Ludwig responded, his voice wavering, "I really don't know."

A couple stray tears streamed down Ludwig's face. He couldn't bear to look at Larry now. Even though it was years after the fact, Ludwig still felt guilty about what he'd attempted to do back then.

Just then, Ludwig felt Larry's arms wrapping around him. His eyes shot open to see that Larry had thrown himself onto Ludwig in a hug.

"I'm sorry," Larry said, his voice wavering and heaving as if he were also crying. The erratic state of his breathing also gave this away.

"Sorry for what?" Ludwig asked hesitantly.

"For making you bring that up," Larry replied, "I don't hold it against you now. That was a you of the past. That was then and this is now."

Tears began blurring Ludwig's vision until they finally spilled over. It was like a weight had been lifted from his chest. Just knowing Larry still trusted him was enough for him.

"Thank you, Larry..."

* * *

 _ **((A/N: Thank you guys so much for reading and for all the kind reviews! This is a fic I've had in the works since last year and I'm so happy to finally have it done and out for you all to read! I'm not normally the type to do author's notes, but I really wanted to thank all of you reading my stuff! This is the end of this fanfiction...for now. I'm still debating with myself over whether I want to continue and bring in present-day BJ or whether to leave this be and work on the forty-million other things I'm currently in the process of writing. If I do update this later, I'll delete this author's note**_ _ **, but, for now, this is done. Thanks again and see you around!))  
**_


End file.
